A hoax mermaid, the insect circus and one of the most colourful figures from the old Wild West are all part of an intriguing exhibition celebrating the fun of the fair.

Visitors at Bradford Industrial Museum are coming face-to-face with some of the weird and wonderful characters who appeared at fairs in the district in times past.

The exhibition – called Roll Up, Roll Up: Showmen In Bradford – celebrates the district’s fairground history and Bradford-born families famous throughout Europe for their extravagant shows and thrilling rides in the late 19th century.

Also featured are several famous showmen who performed in Bradford, including Buffalo Bill, who brought his Wild West show to Lister Park in 1904 for the City of Bradford exhibition, marking the opening of Cartwright Hall by the Prince and Princess of Wales, later King George V and Queen Mary.

The exhibition also throws the spotlight on PT Barnum, who became famous worldwide for his travelling circus and celebrated hoaxes such as the ‘Feejee’ mermaid, a creature with the head of a monkey and the tail of a fish.

At the centre of the fairground show are two waxwork sculptures; The Great Omi, a heavily-tattooed sideshow performer, and PT Barnum dressed as half-man, half-grasshopper.

Specially-commissioned artwork by artist Mark Copeland, of the Insect Circus Museum that has been inspired by Barnum’s American Museum, is also on display alongside original material from the National Fairground Archive based at Sheffield University.

“This exhibition celebrates the whole culture of the fairground and its people, from the three big Bradford fairground families to the big names from outside that came here,” said museum manager Neil Hinchliffe.

“Before the days of television and other forms of home entertainment, fairs used to attract huge numbers of people. When the fair came to town, it would be the year’s big event.”

Councillor the Reverend Paul Flowers, Bradford Council’s executive member for culture, tourism and sport, added: “This is a fascinating exhibition that celebrates the great showmen and women who came from and who performed in Bradford during the heyday of travelling circuses.”

Roll Up, Roll Up: Showmen In Bradford runs at Bradford Industrial Museum, Eccleshill, until March 13, 2011.